The specific binding of [3H] and [32P]Ins(1,4,5)P3 to a particulate preparation of bovine adrenal cortex has been used as a radioreceptor assay to determine the concentration of Ins(1,4,5)P3 in agonist- and depolarization-stimulated rat cerebral cortex slices. The resting concentration of Ins(1,4,5)P3 in slices that had been preincubated in a physiological medium was 18.8 +/- 2.6 pmol/mg prot. Carbachol evoked a rapid and dose-related increase in the concentration of Ins(1,4,5)P3. Maximal stimulation (80%) was already seen at the earliest point (10 sec) examined and was maintained for at least 5 min. The EC50 for carbachol was 75 +/- 17 microM and the response was totally suppressed by the muscarinic antagonist atropine. A direct comparison in the same slices was made between mass determinations and [3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3 and [3H]Ins(1,3,4)P3 accumulation determined by h.p.l.c. Although an identical time course was observed for cold and radiolabelled Ins(1,4,5)P3, the greater stimulation of [3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3 may indicate changes in specific radioactivity. Of a variety of other receptor agonists studied, only the glutamate receptor agonist quisqualate, and noradrenaline significantly increased the mass of Ins(1,4,5)P3 in cerebral cortical slices. However, depolarizing concentrations of K+ were as effective as carbachol at elevating this second messenger.